Oh, The Memories!

While flipping through my computer CD case today, I was ecstatic to find an old gem. Soap Opera Stuff was there staring me in the face and I couldn't resist putting it in the machine to see what nostalgia it held. Before long, I was grinning from ear to ear as I rediscovered forgotten treasures. Classic video clips from All My Children and Passions delighted my senses. While watching, I found myself wishing for the good old days of daytime television. It's always nice to relive wonderful memories.

Someone's In The Kitchen...

Wagonwheel pasta, mayonnaise, feta cheese, green olives, salt, garlic, pepper, and bacon.

I had nothing made for lunch today, so Tess and I created a little something. It's good to be imaginative once in a while. We call the outcome Feta Bacon Pasta Salad.

The Sweetest Sound...

"Ryan Lavery, you're under arrest!" Is that not the coolest phrase ever? When I heard Jesse say it, I couldn't contain my joy. Who the hell does Ryan think he is trying to keep Annie from Emma. I understand him being upset that there was a gun in his daughter's room, but a plausible explanation was given and the mistake rectified. Taking a sleeping child from her bed and bolting for the door is more than a little extreme. Seriously, does Ryan really think Annie would ever do anything to put Emma in danger? I don't think a custody battle is the way to go just to prove manliness. Makes me so angry I could scream.

I'm incensed with Kendall. Her worship of all that is Ryan is out of control. As much as I don't like saying this, Zach really needs to step up to the plate and put his foot down. Her family is falling apart at the seams, and all Kendall can worry about is being a pitbull for an ex? Get your priorities straight!

Right now, truthfully, I wouldn't mind Frankie going away forever. Cornelius Smith Jr. doesn't seem invested in his role anymore and the character is grating on my last nerve. He and Randi should ride off into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again.

Jesse's big confession of a long-ago love was a major letdown. I hope The Powers That Be have something grand in store for this storyline or it may well go down as one of the worst ever.

Turning a positive corner, I'm absolutely in love with Taylor. Could an Amanda, Jake, Taylor triangle be in the works? While that could prove interesting, when this initial war story is done, I think I'd like to see Taylor brought into Tad's orbit. Taylor battling it out with Krystal for Tad's affections could be can't miss. Imagine if supposedly dead fiancee Brot was thrown into the mix.

As you've probably heard by now, Amanda Baker and her altar Babe Carey will soon leave Pine Valley. I can't say I'm sad to see them go. While I adored the character when portrayed by Alexa Havins, Ms. Baker's stiff take on her never won me over. A bad recast to say the least.

Rockin' The Do!

What's that sound I hear? Ah, yes, my mother screaming in horror all the way from Fairhaven. :) Okay, so I couldn't stand the mess I made last week, and did my best to erase all memory of it. I'm actually very happy with the way it turned out, and think I'll be keeping it for a while. The cool thing about it is that I didn't use the whole bottle. So, if I decide to, I can dye it again without spending anymore money. No matter what anyone else may say, I'm happy with it, and that's good enough.

Baker OUT... Babe GONE!

I've just received confirmation that Amanda Baker is indeed out at All My Children. After weeks of speculation, (and hoping), this announcement should come as no surprise. No word yet on how the character of Babe will be ushered off canvas. Though it's just an assumption on my end, I would think the exit will coincide with the tornado that devastates Pine Valley.

WinxMix Volume 9

After listening several times, I'm not that impressed. Songs like Bust A Move and Change The World seem completely out of place. Song order is off as well. The easy in and out flow that I've come to prefer is missing almost entirely. The ninth volume in the series does have some amazing songs to balance out its lackluster elements. Among them are standouts Life Story, Hands To Heaven, and Dance With My Father. Truth be told, I think this volume is one of my least favorites.

'Tis The Season... For Colds And Allergies!

I felt it all coming on the other day and knew I was in trouble. By the time yesterday rolled around, I was suffering from uncontrollable projectile sneezing and a major headache. Unfortunately, due to this nastiness, I was forced to miss school today. It's not even that I feel all that bad. The problem is my inability to protect my classmates from the aforementioned projectiles. I've left a message with my teacher explaining the situation. I hope he understands and that we can come to some sort of terms regarding absences. If the reason for me not being able to attend is beyond my control, I don't think I should be penalized. Hopefully, he'll agree.

Rockin' The Do!

Bored with my hair again last night, I decided to go to Walgreens and see if they had any interesting dyes. I've been wanting platinum hair for a while, and the box I chose falsely promised it to me. During the whole process, it looked as though I was going to get the desired outcome. Then, we started rinsing and washing. This isn't what I wanted at all, but isn't horrible all the same. In a couple of weeks, after it grows out, I'm going to go to a legit beauty supply store and get bleach. Opinions, anyone?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

When I called my sister to see if we were planning anything for mom's birthday, she said that a combined celebration with William was what she had in mind. While I'm sure mom wouldn't care, I thought she should have a special day of her own. I also decided to take charge of the cake this year. Lemon with cream cheese frosting and peanut butter M & M lettering.

We sang happy birthday, and Harry help blow the candles out. I hope she had a good day, as she is the best mom anyone could wish for. She deserves all good that comes her way, and a lifetime of happiness!

New Picture Of Zelda!

Adorable, isn't she? Would be even more so without those glowing demon eyes. :)

All My Amnesiacs?

I'm getting concerned. It seems as though the residents of our beloved valley are having issues with memory loss. Ryan and Greenlee were beyond nauseating this week. Ryan's proclamation that Greenlee is his one and only true love is laughable. Does he not remember Hungarian Princess Gillian? Likewise, Greenlee's claim that Aidan completes her makes me taste bile in the back of my throat. Nobody except Leo ever loved her unconditionally. People given headwriting positions should really be made to brush up on history before crafting a story.

All right, I wasn't going to go off on a big tangent, but I can't help myself. The way in which Ryan handled breaking the news of Annie's miscarriage to Emma was stupid beyond any reasoning. The dialogue accompanying the scene was even worse. Ryan tells his five year old daughter that their going to plant a tree in memory of a dead fetus in the park and that everytime she plays near it, she can think of her would-be sibling. Let me stress again people, FIVE YEARS OLD! What member of the writing team came up with this brilliant gem? Thinking about it makes my head ache.

I'm really beginning to dislike Jesse. This is unfortunate because I think Darnell Williams is such an amazing actor. The way that Jesse talked to Angie this week was bordering on abuse. Angie has every right to be curious/suspicious about what happened in her husband's life the twenty years he was missing. From what I hear is coming down the pike, Jesse would do best to confess everything now.

Erica and Adam are absolute gold. Their date was amazing. Everything from comedy to snarking to tender moments. I hope this couple is explored to their fullest potential. A special shoutout this week to Elizabeth Rodriguez. Her performance was one for the ages. I know there's more to cover but I'm starting to nod off. Will try my best to catch up in the next post.

So Excited!

I was just searching MP3 Rocket and found a copy of Barbra Streisand-The Concert. This is my absolute favorite concert ever. I had a copy on VHS, but don't have a VCR anymore to watch it on. Have been going through withdrawals for quite some time. I'm completely overjoyed that I'm going to be able to see it again. Who knows, maybe if the audio is good quality, I'll even save it to my Ipod. *Squeaks With Glee*

Just Plain Awesome!

So, I called up Rebecca the other day to see if she wanted to get together. She said yes, and came over a couple of days later. Her sister Sarah came along to join the party, and the fun began. First, we ordered food from Papa John's. We watched Across The Universe while waiting for delivery. I was starving and pounded everything down in short order. Remembering I had some alcohol in the refrigerator, I asked Rebecca to join me in a drink, and she did. I felt bad because there were only a couple left, but Sarah didn't seem to mind sitting that one out. Then, we went Youtube surfing for quite a while. Watching old O-Town, Hi-Five, and dance videos was a blast. We took a bunch of goofy pictures, but I looked like I was high in all of them, so they got deleted. An awesome day that I'd like to repeat ASAP.

Dixie Rumors Resurface...

This is getting old really fast. Ever since the disaster that was death by pancakes, the Internet and magazines have been swirling with rumors of a Dixie return. Fans had their wish granted shortterm when she resurfaced in the form of a spirit earlier this year. This most recent exit seemed to dash any hopes that the character would be reintroduced very much alive. Now, with recent word that David is finding his way home, fans are salivating at the thought of a tie-in. The latest round of neverending rumors says that Dixie and David staged her death as protection from The Satin Slayer. I think this is stupid. How long has that story been over now? Unfortunately, however, I can't think of another scenario that would even begin to make sense.

Cady McClain left a giant whole in the show when she exited. I'm not disputing the fact that the return of Dixie Cooney Martin would be amazing. I'm just growing bored with rumors, questions, and scenarios. If it's going to happen, it will. No amount of wishful thinking is going to help the process along. Let it go and start focusing your energy on the show that exists now.

Double Casting News!

AMC favorite Eden Riegel will reprise her emmy-winning role of Bianca Montgomery. Bianca returns to town in the aftermath of the tornado to help friends and family piece their lives back together. Fans should be pleased to know that Bianca will be sticking around PV for the foreseeable future, as this return is under contract.

In related news, Tamara Braun has been cast as Reese Williams, Bianca's new love interest.

Wasted Potential...

Recently, I've been watching Passions from its debut on Youtube. Seeing it from the beginning is making me remember how amazing the first year was. Tabitha terrorizing the citizens of Harmony with the help of her living doll, Timmy, Grace trying to remember her past, Charity arriving in town and disrupting Kay's plans to snag Miguel. It was all so campy and wonderful. As the years went by however, storylines became increasingly outlandish to the point where I eventually tuned out. It's legitimately sad to see how much potential this show squandered. I'm sure I'll be writing about Passions every now and then to share my thoughts and opinions.

Phasing Out Myspace...

Was just looking at my Myspace page and realized that I'm all set with it. Now that I have this awesome blog, I won't be updating it on the regular. Will still keep it up to keep in touch with friends and whatnot but that's about it.

Does Confession Equal Redemption?

That's a question that occurred to me several times while watching Monday's episode. A guilt-ridden Annie selectively confesses her misdeeds to Ryan. It's very convenient how she forgets to mention that she killed her own brother and attempted to kill Greenlee. I hope that the writers don't expect us to believe that a miscarriage miraculously cured Annie of her psychosis. If this character returns to cookie cutter land, I'll be the first to call for her head. It's obvious though that Charles Pratt is committed to doing his best to redeem Annie and keep her around as a viable entity. A quick side note. I was very pleased to see Richie disappear and desperately want him to stay gone. I love me some Billy Miller but ghost Richie was getting stale and predictable.

Ryan rehashes... uh... I mean confesses to Greenlee that he destroys everything he touches. Seriously, it took him this long to figure that out? She assures him that he's a saint, blah, blah, blah. I just think it's funny how the people of PV think admitting to wrongdoing completely absolves them. Ridiculous!

For Sara :)

Sara and I finally got to spend some quality time last week. We caught up on everything, ate lunch and had fun. I insisted we take a new snapshot together because the one I have is going on three years old. Hilarity ensued and it took us about sixty tries to get a decent one of me. She looks stunning no matter what. Good times!

Unadulterated Loathing...

All right, I'm going to get Zach out of the way first so the whole post isn't colored with disgust. I can understand him being angry and hurt with the revelation of Josh's thievery but his emotional and verbal abuse of Kendall is unwarranted and out of character. She has every right to be concerned for her brother in the face of threats to "make him disappear." It appears as though Charles Pratt is taking Mr. Slater down a very dark path and I am none to happy. My hate for Zach is beginning to eclipse that of Ryan.

Annie's plot to kill Greenlee unfolds as she breaks into her apartment wielding a gun stolen from The Chandler Mansion. After several unsuccessful attempts, Annie returns to the mansion just in time for Ryan to enter her room and confront her about the restraining order she put on him. The argument that ensues ends with Annie being rushed to the hospital on the verge of a miscarriage. A confrontation with Kendall leads to Annie's worst fears being realized. By weeks end, riddled with sadness and guilt, Annie seems driven to confess her sins.

Franklin receives redeployment papers and is headed back to Iraq. Angie is doing whatever necessary to stop it including enlisting Randi's assistance. Jesse continues getting and making mysterious phone calls and agrees to meet up with the yet-to-be-identified individual.

JR knows Adam is up to something but can't put his finger on what. Someone needs to tell The Powers That be that Adam is far better than this ridiculous poison fragrance storyline. The only thing saving this at all for me is the actor playing Pete. If the rumors of Babe's impending demise are true, all of this will be for not anyway.

That does it as far as anything of importance. I enjoyed the show this week and hope it continues rebounding.

A Star Is Bourne On Raw!

Photo Courtesy Of evanbourne.net

For those of you who don't recognize the gentleman in the above photo, take notice. His name is Evan Bourne and he's WWE's next break-out star. Familiar to some as Matt Sydal from the now defunct WSX and various indies, Bourne can now be seen regularly on WWE television. His Raw debut, which saw him teaming with Rey Mysterio to challenge John Morrison and The Miz was the best I've seen in years. Innovative, creative, amazing moves kept my jaw firmly planted on the floor throughout the entire match. Why Evan is relegated to the wasteland that is ECW is anyone's guess. Talent like his is almost once in a lifetime and should be prominently featured on a main stage.

I foresee Mr. Bourne eventually overtaking John Cena's popularity spot and keeping it in a chokehold for years. Others may be seen as "better entertainers" but, based on pure wrestling ability, Evan Bourne puts everyone else to shame. The wrestling world is going to be spun on its ear when he is finally given the push he deserves.

Christmas In September...

That's right, people. I'm rockin' out to Christmas music. It's my absolute favorite time of the year and I'm of the belief that it's never too early to start celebrating. Merry Christmas to all!

My Excellent BCC Adventure...

Had an awesome day today at school that started with me bumping into my friend Victoria and chatting for a while. She decided that she didn't want to go to class and would help me with my advisory meeting. Thankfully, the two people I met with were extremely helpful. The foreign language requirement has been waved and I can focus full-time on geography.

With two hours to kill, Victoria and I went to the theatere building and met up with a couple of friends from past semesters. It was definitely cool seeing them again and catching up. As it turns out, I didn't even have to go to geography today because it was canceled.

It's been a long time since I've had such fun spending the day with someone. I think/hope Victoria and I become good friends. She's one of the nicest people I've met in some time.

9/11

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the anniversary. It is important that we never let history repeat itself and always remember the brave men and women who sacrificed and lost their lives.

Saving The Soaps...

Everyone knows I'm extremely passionate about daytime drama. For over a decade, the shows under that umbrella have been in steady decline. Nielsen ratings, the system used to measure the number of households watching specific programming, have become outdated and inaccurate. With the advent of Tivo and DVR recording devices, much of America no longer watches shows as they air. To that same point, the audience for which daytime dramas were originally created, the housewife, has all but vanished. My solution to save this genre, as well as television in general, is for the Nielsen family to come to terms with cable providers to include individual trackers in each box. It is then, and only then, that television ratings will be fairly represented.

WinxMix Volume 9

The ninth volume in the WinxMix series is now complete. Classics like Rhythm Of The Rain, Please Come To Boston, Hands To Heaven, Carolina In My Mind, and (Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay are included. Can't wait to listen all the way through.

Guilty Pleasures

Perfection! Streisand's best release since Higher Ground, Guilty Pleasures is as wonderful as an album can be. Every track is sung flawlessly. While hers is not the same voice of twenty-five years ago, Barbra, like a fine wine, seems to improve with age. There are those who choose to dismiss this effort as an unsuccessful attempt by Ms. Streisand to return to the glory days of its predecessor. I couldn't disagree more. Not being a fan of Guilty, I see it as absolutely pointless drawing comparisons between the two. Unlike many of the albums that came before it, everything about Guilty Pleasures is timeless. Barbra and Barry have created a masterpiece. This work should be the one by which Streisand measures all future projects. Bravo!

Zach's Idiotic Intimidation Tactics...

Murder, henchmen, threats, poisoning. Did I accidentally switch to General Hospital? No. Unfortunately, we're still on Pine Valley time. Okay, maybe it's not as bad as I perceive. You be the judge.

The majority of the week focused on the launch of Bella, Fusion's new fragrance. Everything was flowing fairly smoothly... until the murder that is. Taylor rescued Randi from an attack by her pimp Fletcher by snapping his neck and killing him. With the exception of the actress portraying Randi, all involved did a great job. I'm finally starting to see what the big deal over signing Beth Ehlers is. In case you're wondering, Taylor got out of the murder charge because Chief Of Police Jesse Hubbard conveniently labeled it self defense.

I'm not even going to waste time discussing the stupidity that is Adam and Pete trying to poison Bella.

Zach spends most of the week trying to figure out who's embezzling money from Cambias. Thankfully, the majority of his search was conducted off-screen. Friday's episode begins with hired henchmen attempting to track this person down. Viewers soon learn that Josh is the suspected culprit and Zach's metamorphosis into Sonny Corinthos begins. Is that a mob storyline I smell? Thorsten Kaye was definitely texting in his performances this week. Things on the ridiculous front ended just in time for Kendall to walk in to hear Zach threaten Josh's life.

I refuse to discuss Ryan and the rest of the scooby-gang. I don't want to speak too soon but it looks like AMC's fortunes might be changing. I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Back To School, For Real This Time...

First day back today and I can't exactly say I'm thrilled. For starters, I had to spend twenty minutes looking for the right building. Next, we had a substitute in Spanish, so I wasn't able to talk about necessary accommodations. Had trouble getting to my geography class because the elevator was malfunctioning. The professor went overtime and the rush for the bus was on. I got trapped in the tiny space of the temperamental elevator and the bus was pulling away. Thankfully, I made it home. If we're going on first impressions, things don't look good. But, being the trooper I am, I'll try to work through it all.

Back To School... Sort Of...

Today was supposed to be my first day back. With nervous anticipation, I quickly got dressed and into my chair. One problem. When the chair was plugged in last night to charge, the fact that it wasn't in the wall went unnoticed. So, unfortunately, I'm unable to attend classes first day because of a dead battery. Sent an email to each of my professors explaining the situation. They should understand I hope tomorrow gets off to a better start...

Can Orton Elevate Punk?

Randy Orton returned to Raw on Monday and cut a great heel promo on all of the brands champions. This soon led to a verbal altercation with CM Punk who made his way to the ring to confront Orton. I found myself thinking how weak Punk seemed trading insults with his adversary. It's also interesting to note that, throughout the segment, Orton seemed to be the babyface.

It is well documented that Mr. Punk's run with the title has been lackluster. Were The Powers That Be setting up Orton with a ready-made feud when he returns to in-ring action in three months? Do they plan on keeping the strap on Punk long enough for the battle to center around the gold? I, for one, don't think Punk has proven himself worthy of the industry's richest prize. How much blame is his and how much lies with booking? Honestly, I don't really care. As you can tell from the picture on the left, I think the belt would look great back around Mr. Orton's waist. Could a match or two with The Legend Killer elevate CM to the next level of competition? My vote is yes.

Someone's In The Kitchen...

Melanie and I went on a cooking spree last night and I thought I'd share our creations.

First Picture: Ham, with linguica and cheese potatoes. Okay, I admit that the potatoes probably don't look too appetizing, but they're absolutely amazing.

Second Picture: Melanie and I improved upon an apple crisp recipe given to me by my sister by adding some extra oats and cinnamon.

Was definitely a good time and will make for some great eatin'.

Being A Barbra Streisand Fan Is Becoming Difficult...

Okay, time to rant. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I've been obsessed with Barbra Streisand for years. On October 22, 2006, my fourteen year dream of seeing her perform live finally came to fruition and is the most amazing experience I've ever had. Here's where frustration comes in. Being a Barbra fan, one grows accustomed to the extremely long waiting process, and usually doesn't mind because you know whatever it is you're waiting for will be fabulous when it's eventually released. That said, it's two years later and we're all still sitting on our hands, waiting with bated breath for a DVD with no release in sight. Even as one of her most loyal fans and avid supporters, I'm starting to feel extremely disrespected.

This concert debacle isn't the first time promises were made and not delivered upon. A Just For The Record career retrospective DVD has been said to be in the works for as far back as I can remember with nothing ever materializing. A completed director's cut of Yentl sits somewhere undistributed. I could go on for hours. It feels as though Barbra is beginning to take her fans for granted and that doesn't sit quite right with me. When you start alienating your hardcore audience, there's something terribly wrong.

Family Day...

I was especially excited to visit the farm this week because I hadn't the one before. Mom and dad arrived shortly after I did, and were very excited to show me a table and chairs they had picked up for Harry and William.

Most of my day was spent trying to occupy the nephews while my mother prepared a birthday dinner for Liz. Harry was so excited to have me watch him playing in the sandbox, but wouldn't listen when I told him to keep the sand inside. At around 4:30, Liz came back from an afternoon at the farmer's market, and we celebrated her day with chocolate zucchini cake. Hope she had a good birthday!